I recently created an Instagram account, which many find funny considering my love of exploring social media. When Instagram first became “a thing” that everyone was jumping on to, I really didn’t like it. The filters, the selfies, the food; it wasn’t really for me.
(Seriously it’s the filters that did it)
It annoyed me when Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook all got in a fight which ended in me losing the ability to preview my friends’ Instagram photos on Twitter. That feature allowed me to nearly have an account; see what I wanted to see without having to be active on Instagram. Now, I have to click a link, taking the chance the photo is worthwhile. First world problem, if I’ve ever heard one, but also a twenty-first-century world problem.
In college, I took tons of pictures at every event. Parties, study sessions, dinner plans; it has always been nice to look back on those photos and say “aw, remember that?” to keep those memories fresh that I would probably lose. Since “becoming an adult” that habit came to a screeching halt. I looked back on my first year of adulthood, one that was spent in a new city with new friends, and have hardly any photos to remember those small moments.
Now, I’m in yet another new place, and my habit has died completely. Looking through my recent photos makes me so sad for myself, because they’re all photos I’ve taken for the sake of sending information to someone else. A screenshot of my flight information, a selfie of me drinking bubble tea, delicious nachos to show off to a friend. It’s sad, really.
Despite my original distaste for Instagram, I jumped in, hoping that it would force me to take more photos and create more memories. I allowed Instagram to auto-follow nearly 900 people who I am friends with on Facebook and associated their Instagram with their account, and started scrolling. I realized that we all have the same photos. We’re not capturing moments with people, we’re just capturing things around us.
So, Instagram has become my effort to capture more memories and not just things around me. Here in Albany, I have yet to really make many memories, but I know that down the road I’ll be better about reaching out and meeting new people…hopefully who are willing to do the same.